This invention relates generally to the presentation of audio/visual material. More particularly, this invention relates to the presentation of different versions of an audio/visual program or the presentation of different locations in a program so as to allow a user to select a preferred presentation.
In the past, audio/visual (AV) programs such as movies, television shows, music videos, video games, training materials, etc. have typically involved a single play version of the program. The user would begin play of the program and watch the program from beginning to end. A single presentation was implemented in displaying the program. A user did not have any option to view the program from a different angle, with a different soundtrack, in a different language, with subtitles, etc. because the video could not accommodate multiple options. However, with the introduction of DVD technology, a user now has greater options to choose from. A storyline in a movie, for example, can be shot from different angles and stored as different versions on a DVD storage medium. Similarly, a movie might be sold with optional language tracks. Thus, a viewer could decide to watch the movie with a French language track rather than English, for example. As another example, a movie might be presented with different endings. Thus, a user could select a preferred ending option before playing the movie. However, there is a need to present these different options to a user that removes the need for any specialized codes or difficult programming steps. In addition, there is a need for a system that allows a user to implement these options during the playback of an AV program, rather than at the beginning. For example, if a sporting event is being shown and one angle of view is generally preferred by the viewer, that angle of view can be selected at the beginning of the program. However, if a play would be seen more easily from another angle, it would be desirable to allow the viewer to change the angle of presentation to one of the different angles to view the play. The determination of when the different angle should be implemented would occur during the normal playback of the program. Thus, there is a need for a system that allows this choice to be made easily during normal playback as well as in an easy manner.
Also, it has been possible through the use of VCR's to fast forward or reverse through a video to select a point in time during the video from which to begin viewing. This allowed one to fast-forward through portions of the AV program that already had been viewed at an earlier date or were simply not of interest to the viewer. A user had to physically scan through the video in order to try and determine a new location from which to begin viewing. However, this was a lengthy process that involved a lot of hit or miss trial and error. As a result, it was easy for a viewer to go too far in a video and skip over unseen material. Therefore, there is still a need for a system that gives a viewer a choice or a preview of different sections of an AV program in an automatic or efficient manner, so that the user can easily find the area of interest in the program.
In providing choices to a viewer, other systems have been limited by the way in which alternatives are presented. There is a need for a system that provides a user with a stronger association between the option being presented and the symbol used to represent that option.